Collapsible hat-rack.



No. 688,320. Patented Doc. ID, l90l.

L. LOVEGR AN. v GOLLAPSIBLE HAT BACK.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES M INVENTOR.

: NORRIS PETERS co. wno'roumu;wAsmuswmp. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEORA LOVEGRAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE HAT-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,329, dated December 10, 1901.

Application filed April 5, 1901. Serial N 6. 54,538. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEORA LOVEGRAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Hat-Racks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of collapsible racks that is designed to'be attached to the backs or seats of chairs or pews and to furnish when extended a support for hats, and more particularly ladies hats, and when folded or collapsed to occupy small space, so as not to interfere with the ordinary use of the chairs, (250.

My invention consists of a wire framework formed of rods or wiresbent into rectangular forms, hinged or pivoted to the supporting chair. seat or back and having secured thereto bars or straps of metal or other suitable material, upon which the hats are directly supported.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, I have shown preferred forms of my invention in the following views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack extended. Fig. 2 is a similar view of same collapsed. Fig. 3 shows the rack open and attached to a chair, and Fig. 4. is a similar view with the rack folded against the chairseat.

Referring to the details of the drawings, A

. and B represent, respectively,two wire frames of rectangular form, comprising side wires a a and cross-wires b b, which may be secured together or formed integrally from a single wire. These frames are loosely secured to the back or seat of a chair by means of suitable staples b, which form a hinged connection between said frames and the chair seat or back, the upper cross-wire being embraced by the staples. Connecting the lower cross-wires of the two frames are two thin flat metal straps D D, each formed of two members hinged together at d, the hinge being of the butt form, whereby the members may close or fold in one diforms shown.

reetion, as downwardly, and not in the other direction.

The frames of my improved hat-rack are preferably made of round wire bentin the Frame A is com pletethat is, it has four sides-while the frame B has the upper ends of its side wires bent around the top cross-wire of the frame A, thus forming a hinged connection between the two frames. The dimensions of the frame B are slightly less than those of the. frame A, so that when they are folded or closed the former will lie within the latter, and thus fit close to the chair seat or back. The hinging of one frame to the other is not essential to the successful operation of the device, and, as hereinafter stated, I may hinge both frames to the chairseat.

Men the frame is not in use, it will lie close to the chair-seat, and when the latter is dropped the frame will drop by gravity, and in so doing the hinged straps will have a tendency to separate and will be forced apart by their weight until they lie in a horizontal plane, in which position they will form a support for a hat.

When the rack is secured to the back of the chair, the smaller frame is secured vertically I at the top and bottom to the back, while the larger frame is swung outwardly at the bottom and the hinged members open out to form a shelf.

Instead of hinged metal straps to connect the frames I may use cloth strips to serve as a support or rest for the hat, and the frames may be independently attached to the chairseat at a slight distance apart instead of having one frame hinged on the other, as shown.

There may be other modifications in nonessential details; but the important features of my invention, and those which I desire to protect by Letters Patent and which I therefore claim, are- 1. A collapsible hat-rack formed of wires hinged to a chair seat or back and connected by foldable straps adapted when extended to furnish a support for a hat, as set forth.

2. A collapsible hat-rack formed of wire frames hinged to a chair seat or back and connected by metal straps adapted to be folded in one direction, and when extended to fur In testimony whereof I affix my signature nish a. support for a hat, as set forth. in presence of two Witnesses,

3. A collapsible hat-rack formed of wire frames hinged to a chair seat or back, the 5 lower bars of the frame connected by foldable Witnesses:

metal straps, adapted when extended, to fur- F. BENJAMIN, nish a support for a hat, as set forth. 1 L. G. SNOW.

LEORA LOVEGRAN. 

